Deadly Ernest
Real Name: Ernest St. Ives
First Appearance: Alpha Flight 7
Died In: Alpha Flight 8, and again in Alpha Flight 31.
What's His Problem? During a battle in the trenches of World War 1 Ernest was trapped by an explosion in a fox hole, slowly dying from mustard gas exposure. Yet when Death came for him, he rejected her and refused to die. Death does not take rejection lightly; Ernest discovered he had developed a killing touch when he accidentally killed the rescue party. After pretty much the same thing happened when he hugged his wife, he moved to Quebec and started a crime cartel, using his powers to kill, or sometimes just scare to death, the criminal competition.
Powers: Skin to skin contact with a person kills them instantly. If that weren't creepy enough, Ernest is immortal because his killing touch also absorbs the victim's life force. He's a fair swordsman, too!
Favorite Quote "I am deeply sorry it must come to this, Raymonde, but you understand you leave me no choice." (Alpha Flight 7; said before killing Northstar's good pal Raymonde)
Heroes He Kept Running Into: He fought Northstar and Aurora alone, and took on all of Alpha Flight for an encore. His daughter Nemesis, who hated him for killing her mother, tracked him relentlessly for decades. When Ernest was finally dismantled at the atomic level by Puck after he borrowed her sorcery-enhanced blade, Nemesis crumbled into dust.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Raymonde's daughter Danielle went in with Ernest to kill her father, hoping for a share of the money Raymonde was making with his cafe. Not that she especially liked Ernest...
Most Despicable Act: Killing Northstar's friend Raymonde was pretty evil. But killing most of Alpha Flight goes up there too. Luckily the latter was only temporary!
by Brandon Downard and Jeanne Burch
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